Column.



J. P. MAY.

COLUMN.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 23, 1912.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

' INVE/VTUR (fa/mi? d},

WITNESSES G QMQX 5 ATTORNEYS JOHN FRANCIS MAY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

COLUMN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed October 23, 1912. Serial No. 727,355.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN F. MAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Column, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to columns of the type comprising a shell or casing of metal or other fireproof material designed to be filled with concrete, and the object thereof is to produce an improved cap and base for the shell or casing forming the body of the column, so constructed that both the cap and the base will automatically center themselves and lock themselves to the body of the column as soon as they are put in place, thus making a device that is highly practicable, simple in construction and in every way adapted to the purposes for which it is in-' tended.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which the same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved columnjFig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same, showing the interior construction of the parts; Fig. 3 is a top plan of the cap; Fig. 4 is a detail View showing the construction of the inner end of the cap and base and Fig. 5 is a top plan of the base of the column.

My improved column comprises a body 1 in the form of a tubular shell or casing open at its ends and arranged to be fitted with a cap 2 and a base 3. The cap and base are each provided with shoulders 4 against which the ends of the body 1 abut when the column is set up. The base is open at the bottom, as shown at 5, and the cap is provided with an aperture 6 at its top, through which the concrete can be poured when the column is assembled and made ready for use.

The base is provided with a bottom flange 7, connected by means of ribs 8 to the sides of the base, and the cap is also provided with horizontal wings or extensions 9 connected to the sides of the cap by the ribs 10, and wings 11 may be provided to extend from the sides of the cap near the top also. Obviously, the outside shape of the cap and base is immaterial and may be changed to sult the taste of the designer or the requirements of actual conditions, as will be under- 7 stood.

Bot-h the cap 2 and the base 3 have extensions 12, which are arranged to fit snugly into the shell or casing forming the body 1, so as to connect the parts of the column together. The ends of these extensions have tapering recesses 13 extending longitudinally of the extensions, and these recesses form fingers or prongs 14, which separate the recesses one from the other. Adjacent the inner ends of these recesses are formed offset openings 15, which extend at rightangles to the recesses and are for the pur pose of engaging projections shown at 16 on the inside of the body 1. It will be seen that when the extensions 12 are inserted into the body 1 the recesses 13 will receive these projections 16, and the extension 12 will enter the column until these projections come into position to be received into the offset notches or recesses 15 and lock the cap 16 and body together. The notches 15 are preferably rectangular, as shown, and extend transversely with respect to the projections so as to provide steep shoulders against which the projections or lugs 16 can engage to perform their locking functions. It will be seen that the length of these recesses transversely of the column is comparatively short. Consequently, but a very slight rotation or movement of either the cap or base or body 1 is required to effect the locking action.

I have found in practice that it is generally sufficient simply to insert the extensions 12 of the cap and base into the ends of the body 1, and as soon as the parts come into such position that the recesses are ready to receive the lugs 16, the interlocking will take place without any positive twist or turn being given to any part of the column what-ever. This is because, while the extensions 12 fit the body 1 snugly, they nevertheless can be moved to a certain extent with respect to the body, and generally the weight of the parts will be sufiicient to efiect the necessary turning to prevent the cap or column from coming out of place. This is especially true if the base is set up first and the body 1 slipped down over the extension 12 of the base and allowed to strike the shoulder 4 with. aslight jar, causing a small reboundi Vllhen the body 1 then comes to: rest the projection 16 will be more or less in the recesses 15 simply through the natural tendency of the body l to rotate slightly around its longitudinal axis before it comes.- finally to rest. The same efiect can then be obtained simply by inserting the extension 12 of the cap into the top of the body and allowing it to drop intoplace. The rebound of the cap will result in a slight turn being givemtheretmso as to move -the projections 16' into the recesses'15 of the cap, and the necessary locking will thus result. This action is perhaps aided by the fact that the recesses 13 become gradually narrower as one-passes from the end o-ftheextension 12- toward the cap 2. If the end of this projection be inserted into the top of the "casing 1' and then released, the projections 16 will-engage the diagonalsides of the-recesses 13and' exert a cam action on the cap, imparting to thesame a certain amount of rotation. When these projections strike the-inner ends of these recesses and stop the cap, this turning movement of the cap or the reaction thereof will result in the projections 16 being thrown into the offset recesses 15, so as-to efiect the locking action. The same action takes place-when the'casing 1 is slipped over She extensions 12 of the base and allowed torop.

After the column is-set up it will be filledwith concrete by pouring the same inthrough the aperture 16 in the top of the cap, and in its finished form the column will have all the necessary'strength to enable it to support its load, and will be-pertfe'ctly fireproof as welll The'metal parts can'bc given any ornamental appearance. that may be desired, and'the exterior'thereof'canbe painted or coated'With-plaster or cement if necessary.

I donot wish'to confinemy constructionto the exact details herein set forth, but reserve to myself the right to make any changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts thatfairly fallwithin the scope and spirit of my invention.

thusdescribed my invention, 1 5

lthe other side ofthe recess being disposed iobliquely relatively to theaxi's of the shell 1 or casrngyfor: givingthe' pr oj ect'ion a: rotary j movement when theextension on the attachment is introduced inf the shell: or casing,

so that when-the projection reaches the notch )therotary movement willdireet the projecltion therein.

E 2; The combination: of a shell or casing, ian'd an attachment havingan extension at jone end to be"received by the" said shell or casing, there being a longitudinal recess in ithe extension, extending through the outer end of the extension, a projection extending fromthe inner surfaceof 'the' shell or casing for travelingin the recessganoffset notch ex- ;tend1ng= atone side'of the recess, a -sh'ou'lder jon the attachment" spaced from the notch isubst'antially thesame distance as the projectionis spacedfrom-the endof the'shell or casfin'g for striking againsttheendbf the shell or" jcasing, and causing a jar and rebound to assist the movement of the projection into the offset,- theotherl side of the re'cess being .di sposed obliquely relatively to the' ax'isof the shell or casing, for giving-the projection ;a rotary movement when the extension; on

vthe attachment is introduced the 1 shell or easing; sothat' when the projection reaches the notch the rotary movement will direct the projection'therein. In testimony I whereof 'I name to 'this'specificatio-n in thet presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FRANCIS MAY.

\Vitness'es JOHN WV-ILLIAM 1 STAr'F, CHARLES FRANCES MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, By addressing the GoinmissiiinefofPatents;

' Washington; DJ 0.

have signed my 

